Mike in CA

The 458 isn't available with a manual gearbox either; does that mean Ferrari always makes the right choices? The design chosen for a particular vehicle system isn't nearly as important as how that design is executed. Let's see how Porsche does with this one.

mdeleeuw

I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt that the "Cup" style hydraulic assist system is present in the 991. The main reason for that system is to allow optimum location of components and hence weight distribution. I would have to assume that fitting an additional electric motor to a hydraulic pump and then fixing it somewhere in the vehicle costs more than attaching a pump to the engine.

It is much more likely that the electric power steering in the 991 is a variant of EPAS or EPS where the pump and hydraulic portion of the rack is eliminated altogether and a DC motor is fitted generally to the steering column or the pinion. The system uses software to monitor steering angle, tie rod loads, vehicle speed and like countless other variables to determine how much, if any, "assist" to add to the driver input. The motor can do anything from freewheel to add maximum torque in parking maneuvers.

It saves fuel because (as others have stated) it only consumes energy when it adds torque to the steering. Hydraulic systems are constantly running and parasitic losses alone consume HP.

If Porsche wants to avoid costly fuel efficiency penalties, expect more of this sort of thing. Their ability to deliver a traditional feel depends largely on their software programmers. (ouch)

Mike

Carlo_Carrera

F1 cars use electric power steering. I do not understand how anyone here can think that it doesn't provide great feel and performance.

Nizer

Xenophobia. Myopia. Ignorance. Pick all that apply.

Alan Smithee

Have you driven a new BMW 5-series with electric power steering? They have been universally panned for lack of feel. There is definitely a learning curve with this technology to replicate 'conventional' feel.

These are not F1 cars.

Carlo_Carrera

Pessimist are you? A BMW 5-series is not a Porsche 991.

I will just go out on limb and say Porsche engineers know what they are doing and the naysayers here know very little about electric steering.

Carlo_Carrera

LOL, I will pick them all, thanks.

Alan Smithee

Put us at ease, then. Name a car for sale right now with electric power steering that has exemplary feel.

JamesT7

Alan,

First I do remember the proposed end of the 911 in the 70s / 80s. The sports cars we compare the 911 to today are some of the cars from the past. Ferrari's 458 isn't a GT car but yet it has tons of tech. The 991 isn't a M6 touring car or a MB CL 63. It is still a sports car. It has changed a lot from 1969 yes but so has the segment. You are correct in Porsche has decided to make the 911 more usable or daily or whatever you want to use. But as you have mentioned you could be looking at a sports car that is more expensive mind you 140K isn't that far compared to the fact the 991 I built was 121K. I will tell you when I bought my F355 it cost me 125K +/- today for me to buy a 458 it will cost me somewhere around 300K. That to me is quite a difference. Compared to the 993 Twin Turbo I bought in the same year as the Ferrari which cost me the same as the F355. So what would you prefer?

As mentioned F1 cars have power assist steering does that make them less sporty? The 991 is not a 5 series BMW. Give Porsche some credit. They are not going to totally mess up the steering feel of the 911. And let it be said again it is power assist.

Personally I am looking forward to driving it. One last piece, I have always been a manual trans guy and I asked in a thread the manual vs PDK question and guess what all the threads and posts about PDK said we need to embrace technology. Yet here were are upset at technology changing our power assist. Interesting.

Cheers,

kosmo

i have driven new 5 series loaner and also driven a friends 7. NOT GOOD.
Also my dad's Hyundai Sonata has electric steering. NO BUENO.

Of course there's a learning curve. Let us hope that P engineers are quick learners.

Mike in CA

Name a car for sale right now with a NA flat six motor with a specific output of more the 100hp per liter. Whoa, I guess that Porsche engine must be a piece of crap....nobody else builds one.

Someone is first, with everything. There's nothing magical about hydraulic steering that insures feel; I've driven plently of numb, devoid-of-feel cars with hydraulic power steering. To repeat, it depends on how it's designed and implemented. It will be the same with electro-mechanical power steering.

JLHendrix

I think Alan's point is that odds are against Porsche getting it right. Its a fair point. I repeat BMW engineers are not slouches and their new generation M cars are universally criticized for their E steering.

JamesT7

JLHendrix,

I do not think that the odds are against Porsche engineers. Just because BMW has got it wrong does not mean Porsche will get it wrong. Secondly, BMW M cars are basically all GT cars. So they are looking to make happy a bunch of drivers that are not really performance drivers they just want to be able to say they drive an M cars.

Cheers,

Mike in CA

I understand, but my bet would go the other way. The BMW engineers you speak of are also the ones who came up with the roundly critcized iDrive interface and the brilliant idea to pipe exhaust sounds through the audio system on the new M5. My point being that just because one manufacturer can't get something right, doesn't mean none can. (Edit: just saw that James made the same point )

If Porsche truly screws up the steering on their iconic sports car I will be hugely disappointed, but I just don't think that's going to happen. There are advantages to a properly executed electro-mechanical steering. Why don't we at least wait and see the result before we begin with the doom and gloom?

Alan Smithee

Huh?